I, like many, have really taken hold of this social media craze. The two obvious biggies out there now are Facebook and Twitter. Facebook for me was a no brainer. Everyone I knew was on Facebook and/is a great way to stay connected with those you currently know, have known in the past, and for some people you'd like to know. Facebook is familiar and you are surrounded by people you know and can easily pick up the phone and call them if need be. But Twitter freaked me out the first time I signed on. I was in this whole other universe and it took some getting use to.
However after reading other tweets and learning a little about it I began to see what all the fuss was about. Twitter allows you to mix and mingle with those who you greatly admire i.e. celebrities, musicians, authors, news anchors, politicians, preachers, and the list goes on and on. Where on Facebook you might can be a fan on someone's page but you really never have any real contact or conversation with. However on Twitter you can speak directly to this person and you are heard/read. Now given, it's up to the recipient to respond or not but often they do. You also get to know these people better because they write about everyday things that we all experience at which time you can chime in on your personal experiences.
Just the other night there was absolutely nothing on TV so I watched the infamous Video Music Awards on MTV. At the same time I was reading the Twitter feeds and there were hundreds of us conversing about how ridiculous this program was. It was interesting to talk to people all over the world about the same topic and see everyone's different ideas and feedback. There were even fictional characters commenting like Peter Griffin, Darth Vader, and my favorite Lord Voldemort. It was hysterical to read some of these responses.
So in a nutshell Facebook really gears for people you are familiar with, your comfort zone if you will. Twitter allows you to go beyond your comfort zone and really push your ideas to the masses, while all the while conversing with those whom you wouldn't normally have the opportunity to converse with. So be bold and tweet. I'll become your first follower @childressmusic.
- Steve
www.stevechildressmusic.com
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Why I listen to Christmas Music year round
That's right, I am guilty. I am a closet year round Christmas music listener. I have an addiction and I admit it which is the first step right? I have a collection of over 100 Christmas CD's I have collected over the years. On my iTunes Christmas playlist I have over 750 Christmas songs that I can just hit shuffle and be a happy little elf. Now with the new Internet radio apps such as Pandora I have even more variety and access. So why do I do this very strange thing, why do I subject myself year round to what most "normal" people listen to for about 30 days max and then store away for the next year? Well I'll tell you and hope to convince you that Christmas Music year round does the body, heart, and soul good.
For me Christmas is more than a one year calendar event where we are forced to save our pennies out of obligation to buy gifts for people who honestly really do not need everything we give them, but it's the thing to do. No for me Christmas is in a word magical. As a child I couldn't wait for Christmas to role around. Thanksgiving kicked it off and it was a truly magical period that encompassed the music, sights, smells, and surroundings. Everything had a since of nostalgia to it. As adults I feel that we lose this magic. I would even dare say it happens as early as our teens. The magic of Christmas fades and again we feel it's just another holiday rather than what we thought it was a kid. It is very sad that the older we get life seems less and less magical. And magical happenings seem less and less because we frankly stop looking for them. Our lives become so mundane that the zeal of life is sucked right out of us. So to my first point listening to Christmas music year round keeps that magic and the expectancy of magic alive in my adult heart. I want to experience the magic that my two children experience everyday. I want to remember what it's like to see the world through their eyes. Therefore I listen.
To me Christmas also is a time of family. It is that one time of year where we set aside our differences and look at each other as equals, as true family. With this sense of family comes a feeling of warmth and protection. The smells of my mothers kitchen, the crackling of my in-laws fireplace, the lighting of my family's tree in our living room. Music paints a picture in our minds that only we can see. It brings back snapshots and memories of days gone by and reminds us of once was and what's to come. Therefore I listen to remind me of what I have, the love of my family and that they will love me unconditionally when the world turns its back on me. We all need that reminder I think.
Finally listening to Christmas music year round is a great reminder of the true meaning, the meaning of Hope. The hope that we seem to lose from January 1 - November whatever when we are absence from the reminder that Christ sent His one and only son to this earth, to live among us, and to die so that we can live eternally with Him. Why wouldn't we want that reminder, we all need it?
So the next time you're stuck in traffic in 100 degree weather, have a million thoughts and/or problems running through your mind, or even to simply lower your blood pressure, put on some Christmas Music. Be reminded of the magic that this life still brings, the warmth of what you have, and the hope for tomorrow.
- Steve
www.stevechildressmusic.com
For me Christmas is more than a one year calendar event where we are forced to save our pennies out of obligation to buy gifts for people who honestly really do not need everything we give them, but it's the thing to do. No for me Christmas is in a word magical. As a child I couldn't wait for Christmas to role around. Thanksgiving kicked it off and it was a truly magical period that encompassed the music, sights, smells, and surroundings. Everything had a since of nostalgia to it. As adults I feel that we lose this magic. I would even dare say it happens as early as our teens. The magic of Christmas fades and again we feel it's just another holiday rather than what we thought it was a kid. It is very sad that the older we get life seems less and less magical. And magical happenings seem less and less because we frankly stop looking for them. Our lives become so mundane that the zeal of life is sucked right out of us. So to my first point listening to Christmas music year round keeps that magic and the expectancy of magic alive in my adult heart. I want to experience the magic that my two children experience everyday. I want to remember what it's like to see the world through their eyes. Therefore I listen.
To me Christmas also is a time of family. It is that one time of year where we set aside our differences and look at each other as equals, as true family. With this sense of family comes a feeling of warmth and protection. The smells of my mothers kitchen, the crackling of my in-laws fireplace, the lighting of my family's tree in our living room. Music paints a picture in our minds that only we can see. It brings back snapshots and memories of days gone by and reminds us of once was and what's to come. Therefore I listen to remind me of what I have, the love of my family and that they will love me unconditionally when the world turns its back on me. We all need that reminder I think.
Finally listening to Christmas music year round is a great reminder of the true meaning, the meaning of Hope. The hope that we seem to lose from January 1 - November whatever when we are absence from the reminder that Christ sent His one and only son to this earth, to live among us, and to die so that we can live eternally with Him. Why wouldn't we want that reminder, we all need it?
So the next time you're stuck in traffic in 100 degree weather, have a million thoughts and/or problems running through your mind, or even to simply lower your blood pressure, put on some Christmas Music. Be reminded of the magic that this life still brings, the warmth of what you have, and the hope for tomorrow.
- Steve
www.stevechildressmusic.com
Friday, July 1, 2011
Shannon Christine Vincent
We hear a lot of stories about how people met. Some is love at first sight, some are bizarre happenings, and of course some are just ordinary. Shannon and her family started attending First Baptist Millington my junior year of high school. She was a year older than me and I really never had that much interest in her. She was tall, slim, wore long dresses, had glasses, and bangs. She and her family had visited a more conservative church prior to coming to FBC and this dress was a little more appropriate for that congregation, but for us it seemed, how do I put it nicely, homely looking.
Now I know that I'm going to get a lot of bruises on my arms after Shannon reads this but this story is told by me and my perception at the time. She is more than welcome to write in her version anytime she chooses. Back to the story, needless to say I knew Shannon as a member in the youth group, someone who was older than me, went to a different high school, and played clarinet in the Munford band and church orchestra. That was the extent of it, and beyond that I really paid her no other attention. However, she paid attention to me. She would always sit with me at church, we would laugh and joke around, but I honestly did that with several girls. I was what you would call a "flirt" and I of course would flirt with Shannon. Shannon, no doubt liked me, but again I had no interest. My dad seemed to like her, and would always ask who she was and why I never pursued her. I, in my teenager ways, would just roll my eyes as if to tell my old man, I got this department sealed, no extra help needed thank you. I was a little arrogant then, but then again what teenage boy wasn't, right? One night in particular I was at home on the family computer and Shannon im'd me. In case you do not know what im'd is , it means instant messaged. It is what we had before texting, facebook, or any other ways of instant communication. I was online and Shannon started to carry on a conversation with me in which I ignored her. My dad saw the conversation, asked why I wasn't responding, in which I said I was not interested. Dad then went on to tell me how nice she was bla bla bla still didn't want to hear it.
My senior year I lost touch with Shannon because she went on to college and I of course had my senior year ahead of me. The summer after my senior year however I had entered the College and Career group at church and Shannon was home for summer break. In walks this tall beautiful brunette, no glasses, and straight hair girl. She was beautiful and I recognized her. I know how this is sounding but what can I say I was a guy.For the first time I had interest in Shannon, but she had no interest in me. As a matter of fact she had moved on and started dating someone else. So I moved on and started dating other girls. When I was with someone she was single, when I was single, she was with someone. This went on for a couple of years. We would still no doubt be flirtatious with each other but the timing was always bad.
Lets fast forward to my coming home from Nashville, and park there for a little bit. I moved back in with mom and dad until I found a new place to live. I was not quite ready to rid myself of the lifestyle I was accustom to back in Nashville and the words "Under my roof my rules" hung over my head so I had every intention of moving out. That summer I had tried to cling on to my Nashville ways but I was slowly being pulled towards another direction. I was still active at FBC Millington and was one of the few people that could lead worship when needed. At the time we were without a college minister so a guy by the name of Farrel Vinvent and his wife Bonnie were pretty much overseeing the group and keeping it together. Farrel and Bonnie happened to be the parents of guess who? Shannon. Farrel asked me to lead worship for the group on Sunday mornings and later gave me the name Steven Curtis Childress, because I was such a fan of the artist Steven Curtis Chapman. God was really working on my life at this time and I slowly began to see all of my desires to go clubbing and hang out with that crowd slowly fade away. I had a greater purpose and ambition in life and it wasn't to waste my days away. Shannon was still as attractive as ever and I still had an interest, but the receiving side was not so much receiving. Shannon had moved on once more and it was I who she had no interest in. One of the guys in the group that I had befriended had a house and a room mate in Millington. George Quintana and I became great friends and in December of 2000 I was given the opportunity to become his third roommate and move outside of my folk's house. What was strange here is that Shannon and her friend Amanda were also friends with George and were always over at his house hanging out as well. Shannon, I don't think, was happy at all with the idea of me moving in but there was really nothing she could do about it. That New Years Eve we all attended a party at our friend Andrew's house. I remember it was snowing like crazy that night and Shannon's parents had called her home before it got too bad. I remember George and I driving home that night after the party and I said the words. Now these are the words you would hear in a movie or book but nevertheless how cheesy they were I said that "Shannon was the kind of girl I could see myself marrying".
I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was either in late January or earlier February of 2001 but I had just a plain bad day at the bank. I was frustrated and I didn't feel like going back to the house. So, I called up Shannon, who was starting to gett used to the idea of having me around now. I asked her if she wanted to come out to Wolfchase, meet me for dinner at Bahama Breeze and then maybe catch a movie afterwards. Her response was "Are you paying?" With a chuckle I said "of course." We met at Bahama Breeze and had the best dinner together. We laughed and carried on conversations with no breaks. It was the perfect dinner and she was looking amazing. Afterwards we saw the movie "O' Brother Where Art Thou" which was a great movie with great music in it. It was by far the best date I had ever been on and it happened on a whelm. After the movie I drove her back to her car, and while still in my truck we leaned in and kissed. Not gonna lie, it was great kiss. The next couple of weeks we talked a great deal, and went out even more. We soon started "dating" but in doing so I broke one of the worse "man rules" you could break. We started dating two days before Valentines Day. BEFORE VALENTINES DAY, man rule # 23545 says that you either break up with a girl prior to Valentines Day or start a relationship afterwards, but never ever just before. Regardless of the decision to pursue the relationship at that time a relationship was still born. It was a relationship that ignited years before when a blind arrogant teenager had his blinders lifted to reveal the future that was before him. And so began the courtship that would change my life forever.
Now I know that I'm going to get a lot of bruises on my arms after Shannon reads this but this story is told by me and my perception at the time. She is more than welcome to write in her version anytime she chooses. Back to the story, needless to say I knew Shannon as a member in the youth group, someone who was older than me, went to a different high school, and played clarinet in the Munford band and church orchestra. That was the extent of it, and beyond that I really paid her no other attention. However, she paid attention to me. She would always sit with me at church, we would laugh and joke around, but I honestly did that with several girls. I was what you would call a "flirt" and I of course would flirt with Shannon. Shannon, no doubt liked me, but again I had no interest. My dad seemed to like her, and would always ask who she was and why I never pursued her. I, in my teenager ways, would just roll my eyes as if to tell my old man, I got this department sealed, no extra help needed thank you. I was a little arrogant then, but then again what teenage boy wasn't, right? One night in particular I was at home on the family computer and Shannon im'd me. In case you do not know what im'd is , it means instant messaged. It is what we had before texting, facebook, or any other ways of instant communication. I was online and Shannon started to carry on a conversation with me in which I ignored her. My dad saw the conversation, asked why I wasn't responding, in which I said I was not interested. Dad then went on to tell me how nice she was bla bla bla still didn't want to hear it.
My senior year I lost touch with Shannon because she went on to college and I of course had my senior year ahead of me. The summer after my senior year however I had entered the College and Career group at church and Shannon was home for summer break. In walks this tall beautiful brunette, no glasses, and straight hair girl. She was beautiful and I recognized her. I know how this is sounding but what can I say I was a guy.For the first time I had interest in Shannon, but she had no interest in me. As a matter of fact she had moved on and started dating someone else. So I moved on and started dating other girls. When I was with someone she was single, when I was single, she was with someone. This went on for a couple of years. We would still no doubt be flirtatious with each other but the timing was always bad.
Lets fast forward to my coming home from Nashville, and park there for a little bit. I moved back in with mom and dad until I found a new place to live. I was not quite ready to rid myself of the lifestyle I was accustom to back in Nashville and the words "Under my roof my rules" hung over my head so I had every intention of moving out. That summer I had tried to cling on to my Nashville ways but I was slowly being pulled towards another direction. I was still active at FBC Millington and was one of the few people that could lead worship when needed. At the time we were without a college minister so a guy by the name of Farrel Vinvent and his wife Bonnie were pretty much overseeing the group and keeping it together. Farrel and Bonnie happened to be the parents of guess who? Shannon. Farrel asked me to lead worship for the group on Sunday mornings and later gave me the name Steven Curtis Childress, because I was such a fan of the artist Steven Curtis Chapman. God was really working on my life at this time and I slowly began to see all of my desires to go clubbing and hang out with that crowd slowly fade away. I had a greater purpose and ambition in life and it wasn't to waste my days away. Shannon was still as attractive as ever and I still had an interest, but the receiving side was not so much receiving. Shannon had moved on once more and it was I who she had no interest in. One of the guys in the group that I had befriended had a house and a room mate in Millington. George Quintana and I became great friends and in December of 2000 I was given the opportunity to become his third roommate and move outside of my folk's house. What was strange here is that Shannon and her friend Amanda were also friends with George and were always over at his house hanging out as well. Shannon, I don't think, was happy at all with the idea of me moving in but there was really nothing she could do about it. That New Years Eve we all attended a party at our friend Andrew's house. I remember it was snowing like crazy that night and Shannon's parents had called her home before it got too bad. I remember George and I driving home that night after the party and I said the words. Now these are the words you would hear in a movie or book but nevertheless how cheesy they were I said that "Shannon was the kind of girl I could see myself marrying".
I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was either in late January or earlier February of 2001 but I had just a plain bad day at the bank. I was frustrated and I didn't feel like going back to the house. So, I called up Shannon, who was starting to gett used to the idea of having me around now. I asked her if she wanted to come out to Wolfchase, meet me for dinner at Bahama Breeze and then maybe catch a movie afterwards. Her response was "Are you paying?" With a chuckle I said "of course." We met at Bahama Breeze and had the best dinner together. We laughed and carried on conversations with no breaks. It was the perfect dinner and she was looking amazing. Afterwards we saw the movie "O' Brother Where Art Thou" which was a great movie with great music in it. It was by far the best date I had ever been on and it happened on a whelm. After the movie I drove her back to her car, and while still in my truck we leaned in and kissed. Not gonna lie, it was great kiss. The next couple of weeks we talked a great deal, and went out even more. We soon started "dating" but in doing so I broke one of the worse "man rules" you could break. We started dating two days before Valentines Day. BEFORE VALENTINES DAY, man rule # 23545 says that you either break up with a girl prior to Valentines Day or start a relationship afterwards, but never ever just before. Regardless of the decision to pursue the relationship at that time a relationship was still born. It was a relationship that ignited years before when a blind arrogant teenager had his blinders lifted to reveal the future that was before him. And so began the courtship that would change my life forever.
Friday, June 24, 2011
On my Own
Our lives, or so it seems, happens in phases. Moments in time where there is a beginning of an era and end of an era. For me Lucy Memoirs documented the era of my childhood. Highlighted events that sculpted me into the person I am today. Although my childhood was an amazing one life would not let me be a child forever. I had to grow up, adapt to my surroundings, and take my place in this world. It was time to shed these childish days and become a man.
In December of 1999 I believe I took my first step towards becoming a man when I was given my first opportunity to leave the safety of my home and move out. But, I didn't move out of the house to live in an apartment across town or move in with a friend down the street, no I moved nearly 190 miles away to Nashville TN. Why Nashville? Several reasons.
After high school I received scholarships to two major schools in vocal performance, Ole Miss and University of Memphis. The out of state tuition at Ole Miss was not covered neither was my room and board so needless to say it would be quite expensive on my parents to send me there. University of Memphis was the obvious choice because it was cheaper, I could live at home, and I would be around friends and family. I heavily pursued music with the ambition to breaking big in the music scene and at the time become a country music superstar. I thought I had it all?. I had the voice, guitar, song writing ability but my location, Memphis, was horrible for this kind of launch. Nashville had always been the beacon of light for me, the city on the hill, the place where one day I knew I would end up. I remember my dad always telling me "son if you're gonna get out of this town do it while you're young, that way you have no ties and nothing to hold you back". At the time I didn't have any ties and practically everything to gain from this move.
I had also just finished my first semester of my sophomore year at Memphis and I was lost. I had committed nearly 100 hours towards music credits but knew that with this degree I could either teach music as a living or be one of those lifetime full time students who stuck around the music hall playing for whomever and where ever I was asked. Ha maybe even aspire to be some musical genius' TA or something. That being said the beginning of my sophomore year I switched majors to business to pursue that route and make my financial footprint on this world. Towards the end of my first semester nearly flunking stats, and Macroeconomics I was worn out on what my true path was. I needed a break. I needed to separate myself from my surroundings and see what Steve Childress was made of. Notice there has been no mention of Divine direction at this point because I flat out wasn't asking for it nor would I accept it.
One of my best friends from high school Andy Dockery was a Political Science major at Memphis and he was given a brilliant opportunity. During the second semester of his sophomore year he had the opportunity to serve as an intern in the state capitol under one of the House of Representatives. Where is the state capitol? Nashville! He accepted this opportunity around Thanksgiving during that first semester, approached me with the idea of he and I moving to Nashville together for a semester then rejoining the collegiate ranks that next Fall. I must say it was the perfect storm and the very break I was looking for to get out.
I broke the news to my parents, told them of my plans, and like most parents in a time like this they rejected the idea but deep down knew this day was coming. Early December shortly after the first semester ended Andy and I said good bye to our small town lives in Millington and hit the road to the beautiful city of Nashville.
We had made a couple of trips up there looking at what part of Nashville we'd be living in and also where I could get a job. Remember Andy had a job lined up already at the state capitol but me not so much. Up till then I had been working retail at American Eagle and various stores like that. While looking at different apartments I noticed the Gables had a job opening for an agent with them at the same complex we'd be living in. It was sales and great opportunity but I wasn't completely nuts about the idea. The very day I was packing I received a phone call from First Tennessee Bank, which I had applied weeks earlier, and they wanted to hire me as a teller. I immediately asked if there was an opening in Nashville and I was directed to the Hendersonville location which I was hired for. Things were looking up. We found a place to live at the Gable Apartments in Hendersonville TN and I had a little teller job going for me that I knew would lead me nowhere because bank work was NOT a career I planned on going into.
Andy and I moved in to a 2brm 2bath apartment that Christmas. We had no furniture besides our beds and dressers, no dishes and practically no idea what we were getting ourselves into. For the first month our living room furniture consisted of two folding lawn chairs and Andy's 45" TV mounted on a milk crate. I must say there is something extremely liberating about going out and picking your own stuff. Your own furniture, your own groceries, your own clothes etc. We were free and felt ten feet tall and bullet proof. We had no curfew, we could go wherever we wanted, we could buy whatever we wanted. In the words of Steve Martin we were "Two Wild and Crazy Guys"!
As liberating as it was those first few weeks getting off early on Christmas Eve and driving home had to be one of the most heart warming, exciting feelings I'd ever had. I had gone out and bought Christmas presents for everyone wrapped them myself, loaded them up in the truck and made my way home. I probably heard "I'll be Home for Christmas" about a dozen times and every time it brought a tear to my eye. I remember that dad was at the station that Christmas Eve so I decided to surprise him at the station before heading home. I stopped off at Kroger, picked up a cake, and surprised my dad. He was thrilled to see me. Mom told me later in life that my time in Nashville was the hardest on my dad, He missed seeing me and having me around. He missed our daily conversations and weekly lunches. I would be lying if I said I missed those things too. After I left dad I headed home to a full house. It was a scene from a Hallmark movie. We had my mom's side of the family over and they were already eating by the time I pulled into the driveway. I walked through the kitchen door and everyone seemed to stop what they were doing to come see me. It reminded me of the Folgers coffee commercial when the young man came home, brewed the coffee and his family walked in on home Christmas morning and the mom yelled "Peter" and hugged his neck. Cheesy I know but that's what it felt like. It was great being home and bittersweet returning to Nashville, but nevertheless I had to because Nashville was now home.
This move took place the Christmas of 1999 which meant right around the corner was the dreaded Y2K. Computer analyst were unsure if the worlds computer systems could handle the switch from 1999 to 2000. This of course in return caused a great fear through out the people of the world. Planes would fall out of the sky, technology as we know it would literally shut down and life as we know would soon cease. This was the scare called Y2K, the end of the world or apocolyist if you will. I was 20 years old at the time and the end of the world was the last thing on my mind. I was on my own in a hip city where life was happening not destruction. I had met this girl at work and she and I were to go out to dinner that New Years Eve then party the night away at a friend of hers party. We did just that, had a nice dinner in Nashville that night then ventured off to a party where I didn't know a soul aside from my date. Now while in college I went to several fraternity parties but never pledged. I had several friends in fraternities, but to me the idea just never seemed ideal. I was always around alcohol but never drank. This party reminded me of one of those parties and everyone got plastered, including my date. I of course, the only sober person in the room, maintained my socialism as far as it could have been understood. My date drank her self sick and it was my obligation to take her home. We left the party around 10:30 pm New Year's Eve night, I took her back to her apartment, put her to bed, and was back at my apartment by 11:30 pm. There I was alone, sitting in one of two lawn chairs in my living room, in the dark with nothing but the Dick Clark countdown on TV, and all I could think about was what all of my friends and family were doing that very night at that very moment and the fun they were having. The countdown began and there I sat. No one to hold, kiss, or high five. I had never felt nor have ever felt since, more alone as I did that night, by myself in my apartment bringing in the new millennium.
Needless to say I/We survived the turning of Y2K and my life in Nashville progressed forward. I will not go into all the details of my time in Nashville because it was what it was. An opportunity to escape my sheltered Lucy Memoirs life, sow my wild oats if you will, and see what kind of character, and man I wouldn come out as in the end. I had some unforgettable memories in Nashville such as being in attendance of the Titans vs Bills game when Titan's tight end Frank Wycheck threw a lateral pass to running back Kevin Dyson who ran a 75 yard touchdown winning the game 22-16 also known as the "Music City Miracle". The Titans went to the Super Bowl that year and it was electrifying to be apart of that excitement. It was during my stay in Nashville when Uncle David and Shane flew in from Houston, and Dad and Will drove up from Memphis to all spend the weekend with me. Will had spent the night with me at my apartment while everyone else stayed at our beloved Embassy Suites. Nashville had experienced a major snow storm overnight and Will and I knew we had to join the rest of the guys at the hotel. What typically is a 15 minute drive turned into an 1 1/2 drive to the Embassy but we got there just in time for all of us guys to sit around the breakfast table, enjoying a nice hot Embassy breakfast, looking out over an absolute beautiful snowy Nashville landscape. It was truly a Childress' men memory. Given that my roommate Andy was working on the Hill, and there was a Presidential election going on, he was able to get us front row seats to see Presidential incumbent Al Gore speak. Not by any means a Gore fan but nevertheless it was an experience indeed. I never have regretted my time in Nashville, not one bit. Some may question this move, but it was a key component in the developmental stages of me becoming a man.
Late May 2000, Andy's internship had ended and he needed to return home. The decsion was left up to me to either stay in Nashville and continue to make it my home or return back to my true home and build off of the life I had left. The cost of living is quite higher than it is in Memphis, and I still hadn't developed strong enough friendships to become someone elses roommate. I was still a small banker barely clearing $20,000 a year so I just couldn't make it work. Mom, Dad, and Will traveled up to Nashville, we rented a U-Haul, packed up my life in Nashville and made the long lonely trip home. What some may consider a failure I consider a foundation. A foundation in that I was able to survive without parental authority, the knowledge how life can be lived when one abandons their Divine authority, and to me I found out who Steve Childress really was. I begin with this story of Nashville because I do believe that it was Nashville that began this phase of manhood in my life and that would pave the way of better things to come. One in particular a young lady that would come back into my life.....for good.
In December of 1999 I believe I took my first step towards becoming a man when I was given my first opportunity to leave the safety of my home and move out. But, I didn't move out of the house to live in an apartment across town or move in with a friend down the street, no I moved nearly 190 miles away to Nashville TN. Why Nashville? Several reasons.
After high school I received scholarships to two major schools in vocal performance, Ole Miss and University of Memphis. The out of state tuition at Ole Miss was not covered neither was my room and board so needless to say it would be quite expensive on my parents to send me there. University of Memphis was the obvious choice because it was cheaper, I could live at home, and I would be around friends and family. I heavily pursued music with the ambition to breaking big in the music scene and at the time become a country music superstar. I thought I had it all?. I had the voice, guitar, song writing ability but my location, Memphis, was horrible for this kind of launch. Nashville had always been the beacon of light for me, the city on the hill, the place where one day I knew I would end up. I remember my dad always telling me "son if you're gonna get out of this town do it while you're young, that way you have no ties and nothing to hold you back". At the time I didn't have any ties and practically everything to gain from this move.
I had also just finished my first semester of my sophomore year at Memphis and I was lost. I had committed nearly 100 hours towards music credits but knew that with this degree I could either teach music as a living or be one of those lifetime full time students who stuck around the music hall playing for whomever and where ever I was asked. Ha maybe even aspire to be some musical genius' TA or something. That being said the beginning of my sophomore year I switched majors to business to pursue that route and make my financial footprint on this world. Towards the end of my first semester nearly flunking stats, and Macroeconomics I was worn out on what my true path was. I needed a break. I needed to separate myself from my surroundings and see what Steve Childress was made of. Notice there has been no mention of Divine direction at this point because I flat out wasn't asking for it nor would I accept it.
One of my best friends from high school Andy Dockery was a Political Science major at Memphis and he was given a brilliant opportunity. During the second semester of his sophomore year he had the opportunity to serve as an intern in the state capitol under one of the House of Representatives. Where is the state capitol? Nashville! He accepted this opportunity around Thanksgiving during that first semester, approached me with the idea of he and I moving to Nashville together for a semester then rejoining the collegiate ranks that next Fall. I must say it was the perfect storm and the very break I was looking for to get out.
I broke the news to my parents, told them of my plans, and like most parents in a time like this they rejected the idea but deep down knew this day was coming. Early December shortly after the first semester ended Andy and I said good bye to our small town lives in Millington and hit the road to the beautiful city of Nashville.
We had made a couple of trips up there looking at what part of Nashville we'd be living in and also where I could get a job. Remember Andy had a job lined up already at the state capitol but me not so much. Up till then I had been working retail at American Eagle and various stores like that. While looking at different apartments I noticed the Gables had a job opening for an agent with them at the same complex we'd be living in. It was sales and great opportunity but I wasn't completely nuts about the idea. The very day I was packing I received a phone call from First Tennessee Bank, which I had applied weeks earlier, and they wanted to hire me as a teller. I immediately asked if there was an opening in Nashville and I was directed to the Hendersonville location which I was hired for. Things were looking up. We found a place to live at the Gable Apartments in Hendersonville TN and I had a little teller job going for me that I knew would lead me nowhere because bank work was NOT a career I planned on going into.
Andy and I moved in to a 2brm 2bath apartment that Christmas. We had no furniture besides our beds and dressers, no dishes and practically no idea what we were getting ourselves into. For the first month our living room furniture consisted of two folding lawn chairs and Andy's 45" TV mounted on a milk crate. I must say there is something extremely liberating about going out and picking your own stuff. Your own furniture, your own groceries, your own clothes etc. We were free and felt ten feet tall and bullet proof. We had no curfew, we could go wherever we wanted, we could buy whatever we wanted. In the words of Steve Martin we were "Two Wild and Crazy Guys"!
As liberating as it was those first few weeks getting off early on Christmas Eve and driving home had to be one of the most heart warming, exciting feelings I'd ever had. I had gone out and bought Christmas presents for everyone wrapped them myself, loaded them up in the truck and made my way home. I probably heard "I'll be Home for Christmas" about a dozen times and every time it brought a tear to my eye. I remember that dad was at the station that Christmas Eve so I decided to surprise him at the station before heading home. I stopped off at Kroger, picked up a cake, and surprised my dad. He was thrilled to see me. Mom told me later in life that my time in Nashville was the hardest on my dad, He missed seeing me and having me around. He missed our daily conversations and weekly lunches. I would be lying if I said I missed those things too. After I left dad I headed home to a full house. It was a scene from a Hallmark movie. We had my mom's side of the family over and they were already eating by the time I pulled into the driveway. I walked through the kitchen door and everyone seemed to stop what they were doing to come see me. It reminded me of the Folgers coffee commercial when the young man came home, brewed the coffee and his family walked in on home Christmas morning and the mom yelled "Peter" and hugged his neck. Cheesy I know but that's what it felt like. It was great being home and bittersweet returning to Nashville, but nevertheless I had to because Nashville was now home.
This move took place the Christmas of 1999 which meant right around the corner was the dreaded Y2K. Computer analyst were unsure if the worlds computer systems could handle the switch from 1999 to 2000. This of course in return caused a great fear through out the people of the world. Planes would fall out of the sky, technology as we know it would literally shut down and life as we know would soon cease. This was the scare called Y2K, the end of the world or apocolyist if you will. I was 20 years old at the time and the end of the world was the last thing on my mind. I was on my own in a hip city where life was happening not destruction. I had met this girl at work and she and I were to go out to dinner that New Years Eve then party the night away at a friend of hers party. We did just that, had a nice dinner in Nashville that night then ventured off to a party where I didn't know a soul aside from my date. Now while in college I went to several fraternity parties but never pledged. I had several friends in fraternities, but to me the idea just never seemed ideal. I was always around alcohol but never drank. This party reminded me of one of those parties and everyone got plastered, including my date. I of course, the only sober person in the room, maintained my socialism as far as it could have been understood. My date drank her self sick and it was my obligation to take her home. We left the party around 10:30 pm New Year's Eve night, I took her back to her apartment, put her to bed, and was back at my apartment by 11:30 pm. There I was alone, sitting in one of two lawn chairs in my living room, in the dark with nothing but the Dick Clark countdown on TV, and all I could think about was what all of my friends and family were doing that very night at that very moment and the fun they were having. The countdown began and there I sat. No one to hold, kiss, or high five. I had never felt nor have ever felt since, more alone as I did that night, by myself in my apartment bringing in the new millennium.
Needless to say I/We survived the turning of Y2K and my life in Nashville progressed forward. I will not go into all the details of my time in Nashville because it was what it was. An opportunity to escape my sheltered Lucy Memoirs life, sow my wild oats if you will, and see what kind of character, and man I wouldn come out as in the end. I had some unforgettable memories in Nashville such as being in attendance of the Titans vs Bills game when Titan's tight end Frank Wycheck threw a lateral pass to running back Kevin Dyson who ran a 75 yard touchdown winning the game 22-16 also known as the "Music City Miracle". The Titans went to the Super Bowl that year and it was electrifying to be apart of that excitement. It was during my stay in Nashville when Uncle David and Shane flew in from Houston, and Dad and Will drove up from Memphis to all spend the weekend with me. Will had spent the night with me at my apartment while everyone else stayed at our beloved Embassy Suites. Nashville had experienced a major snow storm overnight and Will and I knew we had to join the rest of the guys at the hotel. What typically is a 15 minute drive turned into an 1 1/2 drive to the Embassy but we got there just in time for all of us guys to sit around the breakfast table, enjoying a nice hot Embassy breakfast, looking out over an absolute beautiful snowy Nashville landscape. It was truly a Childress' men memory. Given that my roommate Andy was working on the Hill, and there was a Presidential election going on, he was able to get us front row seats to see Presidential incumbent Al Gore speak. Not by any means a Gore fan but nevertheless it was an experience indeed. I never have regretted my time in Nashville, not one bit. Some may question this move, but it was a key component in the developmental stages of me becoming a man.
Late May 2000, Andy's internship had ended and he needed to return home. The decsion was left up to me to either stay in Nashville and continue to make it my home or return back to my true home and build off of the life I had left. The cost of living is quite higher than it is in Memphis, and I still hadn't developed strong enough friendships to become someone elses roommate. I was still a small banker barely clearing $20,000 a year so I just couldn't make it work. Mom, Dad, and Will traveled up to Nashville, we rented a U-Haul, packed up my life in Nashville and made the long lonely trip home. What some may consider a failure I consider a foundation. A foundation in that I was able to survive without parental authority, the knowledge how life can be lived when one abandons their Divine authority, and to me I found out who Steve Childress really was. I begin with this story of Nashville because I do believe that it was Nashville that began this phase of manhood in my life and that would pave the way of better things to come. One in particular a young lady that would come back into my life.....for good.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Halloween 2010
Halloween 2010 was no doubt a memorable event. It was the first time that Emmerson really got into the holiday and so mommy and I were also pulled into the excitement. This was also Cole's first Halloween so we of course were excited about dressing him up for the special events. Halloween happened to fall on a Sunday this year which was great. There were no one and done Trick-or-Treating or getting all dressed up for that one night event. No sir we started our activities the Thursday before. Outside of Millington is the famous Jones Orchard. As always they hosted their annual corn maze and trail of terror mazes. We obviously did not want to take the kids to the trail of terror maze but were excited to take them to the corn maze. We met for dinner at McAlister's (where kids eat free on Thursday nights) with our friends Timmy, Liza, and Ava Grace Hendren. Afterwards we took off to the corn maze. Now it was much cooler than most nights that week but we were all properly bundled up. Cole was the only one who had challenging transportation. I put him in one of those baby backpack things and was able to carry him like a little Indian baby...that is until he puked on me twice from all of the bumping and walking. After the second puke it was time to retrieve his "all-terrain" stroller, laid him down all bundled up and made our way through the maze. Timmy acted as our guide as he turned and stopped, stopped and turned and somehow we made it alive celebrating with a nice cup of hot chocolate and funnel cake.
The party was a great success full of families and lots and lots of kids. The highlight of the evening was the self made haunted house. The Dunagun's have an unfinished upstairs and with a lot of black plastic and strobe lights they had formed it into a haunted house. Miles Dunagan, operating the special effects stepped through his ceiling not once but twice. That was one expensive Halloween party to say the least.
Once we got home Cole had worsened and we were advised by his pediatrician to take him to the ER since he was so young. So we took the little guy to Lebonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis where test were run and to make sure he wasn't dehydrated. We were released around 4:00 am Halloween morning at which time we went home, crashed on the bed and got a whopping four hours of sleep before starting the day over again. Cole had picked up a 12 hour no fever stomach bug. He never got dehydrated and all the labs came back perfect, Praise God!
After spending a couple of hours at the festival I brought Emmerson home so her mommy could take her on one last Trick-or Treating in our neighborhood. Shannon had missed a lot of the magic of watching Emmerson have fun so I am so glad she was able to take her out. After it was all said and done we were a very exhausted lil' family. We definitely got the most out of the holiday even with a trip to the hospital.All in all it was one memorable weekend.
- Steve
Friday, October 29, 2010
Bitter Sweet
This will be the first of many "Bitter Sweets" for both Cole and Emmerson because I know that as time goes on both will make the transition to kindergarten, to Jr. High, High school and then the dreaded day they leave for college. In between these school landmark periods we will deal with bitter sweet moments of first tooth to first lost tooth, first time spending the night at a friends house, first boo boo to first broken arm, first time they realize mom and dad aren't as cool anymore and they try to avoid us. These are life filled moments that we as parents dread but know they are coming.
Poor Shannon had to be "bad parent" in both children's cases to take them to their first day of day care. I remember the day Emmerson had to go. Shannon's school year was at its beginning and we had agreed to take Emmerson a day early to acclimate not only Emmerson but Shannon and myself to the new change. I unfortunately had an early morning conference call and was unable to take her that morning; however it was on my mind that entire day. Shannon cried like most mom's but she knew deep down that she was not cut out to be a stay at home mom. There is nothing wrong with that. Some mom's enter marriage with the life ambition of being a stay at home mom, some, on the other hand, know they would completely lose their minds. Its all in how God made you, I explained to Shannon feeling guilty about the decision. One great thing about Shannon's occupation, however, is that as a teacher she has so much time off with the kids during the key times of the year. The extra income definitely helps, but if she ever decided to be a full time mom we would with out a second thought make that sacrifice.
Back to Cole, again I had a work obligation that required me to be in early (I didn't plan these by the way), and again Shannon had to bear the burden of yet another first daycare experience on her own. This one was not as hard on her as it was with Emmerson, partly because she has been through this before, but I think mainly because she has seen the the great benefit day care has given to Emmerson. Emmerson, and now Cole's day care is a great institution where we know our kids are deeply loved. Emmerson is always at the top of her class, and always been promoted before her peers. She is an extremely smart kid for a three year old. Now I know every parent will say that about their kid, but its not just me. Her teachers are amazed of her abilities and we strongly agree a lot of it has to do with her social and educational interactions at daycare. Although we are sad that Cole is not in our care at home through the week days we are excited to see what he will learn and grow to be in daycare, it is again bitter sweet. So though our hearts are breaking, as they do in moments like these, we smile as we look forward to the tomorrows. Because tomorrow will be a great ride.
-Steve
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Why a Blog?
I have been wanting to pick up blogging for two main reasons. One, I don't want to miss what all is going on in my day to day life. Everyone says life happens in a blink if an eye and we are not to miss one moment of it. So just like I chronicled my childhood through "Lucy Memoirs" I want to chronicle this crazy journey I'm on with my wife and two children. Documenting as much as I can so that 10, 20, 30+ years from now I will be able to look back and remember times gone by. I see this as a great tool to upload memories for years to come.
The second reason for restarting this blog is to figure out the here and now. What I, as a Christian man, go through, the battles I fight, the beauty I see, and the unanswered questions I have. I'm very blessed to have a heavenly Father walk through this journey with me and for the wonderful instruction manual He gives me to figure out this crazy ride. These blogs may or may not benefit the reader but these will be things that define who I am and ways to look back on to see how God brought me through. In addition I think it will be pretty cool for my now 10 week old son Cole to see how good ole dad handled situations, lived life and how it could possibly give him direction for his trials as he becomes a man, father etc.
So here we go, a start of something new, something else to clutter my already cluttered world. However, unlike most clutter in my life I see great purpose in this blog. I see this more of an investment. Its kind of like a picture album pulled off the shelf and dusted off. You open it and floods of memories just hit you at once as you venture back in time to childhood memories, families past and present, and reminders of how good you actually had it. From a family standpoint photo albums are pretty much a thing of the past. We rarely print out pictures and paste them in a book. Today we take digital pictures, upload them to an album on our computer, share them on social networks such as Facebook or Twitter, and share our lives with a click of a button. Beyond that we take digital videos and can share them the same way. No more boxes and boxes of old VHS tapes or newly burned DVD's everything is now saved on the world wide web.
So I blog, put all of my history here where it is safe from any kind of natural disasters and can be accessed anywhere and at anytime. Now I will be freely blogging on my own time without my wife's "proof reading", as she did for me in "Lucy Memories" so please excuse the mountain of misspelled words and grammatical errors. For this I apologize but there again, is that stuff really all that important in casual blogging such as this? Nevertheless its time to start blogging!
-Steve
The second reason for restarting this blog is to figure out the here and now. What I, as a Christian man, go through, the battles I fight, the beauty I see, and the unanswered questions I have. I'm very blessed to have a heavenly Father walk through this journey with me and for the wonderful instruction manual He gives me to figure out this crazy ride. These blogs may or may not benefit the reader but these will be things that define who I am and ways to look back on to see how God brought me through. In addition I think it will be pretty cool for my now 10 week old son Cole to see how good ole dad handled situations, lived life and how it could possibly give him direction for his trials as he becomes a man, father etc.
So here we go, a start of something new, something else to clutter my already cluttered world. However, unlike most clutter in my life I see great purpose in this blog. I see this more of an investment. Its kind of like a picture album pulled off the shelf and dusted off. You open it and floods of memories just hit you at once as you venture back in time to childhood memories, families past and present, and reminders of how good you actually had it. From a family standpoint photo albums are pretty much a thing of the past. We rarely print out pictures and paste them in a book. Today we take digital pictures, upload them to an album on our computer, share them on social networks such as Facebook or Twitter, and share our lives with a click of a button. Beyond that we take digital videos and can share them the same way. No more boxes and boxes of old VHS tapes or newly burned DVD's everything is now saved on the world wide web.
So I blog, put all of my history here where it is safe from any kind of natural disasters and can be accessed anywhere and at anytime. Now I will be freely blogging on my own time without my wife's "proof reading", as she did for me in "Lucy Memories" so please excuse the mountain of misspelled words and grammatical errors. For this I apologize but there again, is that stuff really all that important in casual blogging such as this? Nevertheless its time to start blogging!
-Steve
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